The Chicago Bulls are a team that has long been stuck between two ideologies, the desire to tear down the roster and rebuild vs. the desire to chase the playoffs.
The latter ethos has won out in recent years and even after trading away veterans DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, it’s still not clear if anything has changed.
It’s been a confusing offseason, a half-measure towards a rebuild but a roster that could still win too many games to keep the Bulls’ top-10 protected pick in 2025.
Most of the focus has been on the crumbling relationship with Zach LaVine and the Bulls’ inability to trade him, but there are also big questions about the future of Coby White.
Coby White is the perfect symbol of the present-day Chicago Bulls
Coby White is a good-not-great player, a perfect representative of a team that has lacked a true star in recent years.
He’s also representative of the warring factions within the Bulls, as some believe he has another level to his game and that White will be a star in an increased role next season, while others think he should be traded to kick off a real rebuild.
There are myriad factors as to why Coby White may or may not be part of the Bulls’ long-term plans with ample evidence for either side of the debate.
Of course, Coby White is part of the Bulls’ future
White made a big leap last season, finishing 2nd in the Most Improved Player voting, improving his numbers across the board while playing over 36 minutes per game, the most of his career.
It’s doubtful White’s minutes will go up much, but he now figures to be the number one scoring option with DeMar DeRozan gone, so will likely get a few more shot attempts per game.
He’s still just 24-years-old, so young enough to fit with Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams and Matas Buzelis and is on one of the best value contracts in the NBA.
White’s production and lowball contract would make it very difficult for the Bulls to get equal value in a trade unless some team was willing to give up a couple of unprotected first-round picks for him.
White could be a star next season making role player money, which makes him more valuable than what the Bulls could likely net on the trade market.
But there are factors that make a split between White and the Bulls just as likely.
It will be tough for the Chicago Bulls to keep Coby White
The first question the Bulls will have to answer next season is whether White and Giddey are a good fit, and if not, which one they are going to keep.
White’s role would logically increase with DeRozan and Caruso gone, but Giddey is a ball dominant point guard who is most effective with the ball in his hands, which could make his fit with White problematic.
White shot just 36.5 percent on catch-and-shoot three-pointers last season and figures to get more of them next season working off the ball, so will need improvement in that area. Ayo Dosunmu shot over 40 percent, and combined with his defense, I think you could make an argument that he's a better fit with Giddey given Giddey's limitations on defense.
White and Giddey should be able to figure it out, but even if they can, White’s next contract is an issue.
White only has two more years left on his current deal at a value $12 and 12.8 million per season.
After that, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, and it will be nearly impossible for the Bulls to extend him given how little he makes. That means the Bulls will likely be bidding on White on the open market against the rest of the league, which could drive the price up, especially if he continues to improve.
There is also the argument that the Bulls are far away from being good, and that piling on more draft assets for White now would be the best way to load their rebuild with young players that are more in line with the Giddey/Buzelis timeline.
The Bulls have been terrible at managing assets, waiting too long to trade LaVine, DeRozan and Caruso and can’t make the same mistake with White.